Movie News Monday for May 14, 2012

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Movie News Monday!” (“MNM!”)!! What is ‘MNM’all about?

In case this is your first time here, “Movie News Monday!” (MNM) is the place to visit every Monday for a quick recap of trending entertainment news! I’ve collected info, rumors, etc from all over just for you to keep you updated on movies being released, actors/actresses in roles, dvd releases to keep a lookout for, which movie won in the box office over the weekend, etc! Are you ready for your weekly update? Here it is!

This Just In!!…

#1- “The Weekend Winner.” This past weekend, The Avengers took the #1 spot in the box office once again. Smashing more records, The Avengers has now entered the BILLION DOLLAR club in just under 2 weeks of worldwide release! Wow. Two other wide new releases, hit theaters this past weekend (Johnny Depp and Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows being one of them), but they couldn’t compete with the massive overpowering of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!

Here are the weekend’s estimated results for Fri, May 11 -Sun, May 13:

The Avengers ~$103.2M

Dark Shadows ~$28.8M

Think Like a Man ~$6.3M

The Hunger Games ~$4.4M

The Lucky One ~$4.05M

The Pirates! Band of Misfits ~$3.2M

The Five-Year Engagement ~$3.1M

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ~$2.65M

Chimpanzee ~$1.6M

Girl in Progress~$1.4M

Congrats to The Avengers for winning the box office! If you haven’t seen it yet, you had better do so!

One by one, several films are bowing down to The Avengers! (Now #11 in worldwide grossing of all-time with approx $1.002 BILLION so far!) Avatar, at #1, has $2.7 Billion!

#2- “A Web of Campaigning Material” Even though The Avengers is dominating much of the movie news lately (especially superhero movie news), there is a lot going on with the other two that still have yet to be released in July (The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man). Both have been marketing their films throughout and recently, some new material has launched for July 3rd’s The Amazing Spider-Man.

-Tonight (May 14th) during AMERICA’S GOT TALENT, there will be a 4-minute super preview for The Amazing Spider-Man.

What are your thoughts on The Amazing Spider-Man? Do you like promo materials that show up before a movie?

#3-“Zeta-Jones and others seeing RED.” The upcoming sequel to the all-star action film R.E.D. is starting to form up and other cast members are being added to the ranks! I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed R.E.D. starring Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren Morgan Freeman, Mary-Louise Parker, Brian Cox, and Karl Urban (See my review HERE). I can’t wait for the sequel. Several will be reprising their roles along with Catherine Zeta-Jones who looks to be making a comeback from her acting hiatus.

Check out who is already on board from this quote within a quote! Courtesy Cinemablend:

THR says that Zeta-Jones has signed on for a part in Red 2. The film is a sequel to Robert Schwentke’s action film from 2010 and Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren and Mary-Louise Parker will all be reprising their roles. Taking over in the director’s chair will Dean Parisot and he is working from a script by Erich and Jon Hoeber (who wrote the first movie). Also joining the cast is Byun-Hun Lee, who is best known for his work in G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, in which he played the role of Storm Shadow. He will be returning to the part this summer in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Red 2 currently has a release date scheduled for August 2, 2013, but that may change pending on competition and production schedules.

Sounds like we are in for a lot more fun. I can’t wait to see what crazy antics they employ in the sequel.

Are you ready for more RED? What are your thoughts on Zeta-Jones joining the crew?

#4- “Pinocchio to be a ‘Real Boy’! Well, sort of.” Director Guillermo Del Toro (according to Variety) will be co-directing a a 3D stop-motion animated production of Pinocchio.

Del Toro told Variety that he plans to begin shooting in the summer of 2013. It’s the first time he’s directed an animated feature.

Story will be set in Italy between WWI and WWII. “It was when everyone was behaving like a puppet, except for puppets,” Del Toro said.

“Little by little, I realized that I should direct,” he added, noting that the story has had a profound influence on him — to the point of collecting puppets along with original art from Disney’s 1940 “Pinocchio.”

The story is by Del Toro, frequent collaborator Matthew Robbins and Grimly with Pinocchio embarking on a series of adventures and proving himself to be as indestructible as his love for his father. Robbins wrote the screenplay.

“The Blue Fairy is really a dead girl’s spirit. Pinocchio has strange moments of lucid dreaming bordering on hallucinations, with black rabbits. The sperm whale that swallows Pinocchio was actually a giant dogfish, which allows for more classical scale and design. The many mishaps Pinocchio goes through include several near-death close calls, a lot more harrowing moments. The key with this is not making any of it feel gratuitous, because the story is integrated with moments of comedy and beauty. He’s one of the great characters, whose purity and innocence allows him to survive in this bleak landscape of robbers and thugs, emerging from the darkness with his soul intact.”

Concept art courtesy Collider

Apparently, Del Toro has been thinking about this for some time. He is currently working on the redesign for the character and hopes to begin shooting the project by Summer 2013.

What do you think of a stop-motion Pinocchio feature film?

#5- “This Week’s Blu-ray release.” This week, look for the following films on Blu-ray to possibly add to your collection:

Chronicle– The “found-footage” film featuring 3 unlikely high school friends who unexpectedly inhering superhuman abilities. The chronicled events of their journey are shown in a rather believable manner of what you’d expect from high school students, should something like this ever happen. Pretty intense and yet quite enjoyable. Check it out. (Read my REVIEW)

Several other films also release this week. Check it out!

Also releasing: The Grey (Read my REVIEW), One for the Money (Read my REVIEW), Albert Nobbs, and Rampart

I didn’t know that a sequel to RED is in the works, so thanks for sharing the news about it. I liked the first one and love me some Bruce Willis, so I’d be game for the next installment.

Now, I do like promos before movies if I’m at a movie theater…and IF (and only if) by promos, you mean movie trailers. I could do without the regular commercials for random cell phone services and junk food, etc. but I don’t like a lot of promos on DVDs, especially on the ones where they don’t give you the option to go straight to the main menu. If I bought a DVD or even when I rent them, then I expect to see the movie listed on the Disc, not promos for other films. Get on with the movie, already and don’t waste my time! LOL

Sometimes, promos can be either a bit spoilerific or find a way to just ruin the interest you had in a film. I do very much enjoy the trailers, but it depends on what the promo is doing on whether or not I enjoy it. Like you said, if it’s a promo that turns into a toothpaste commercial…forget that nonsense. But, if it’s a pretty ingenious and explanatory featurette, I’m all for that!